Barbecue grills are in common usage in the backyards and decks of homes throughout the United States. These grills typically use charcoal which is lighted or lava rock for holding the heat supplied by a gas burner or an electric heating element. There are many foods which can be prepared on such an outdoor grill.
Another category of outdoor food preparation devices are smokers which are generally devices having an enclosed chamber with trays therein for holding meats or other foods, a heat source at the bottom thereof and wood chips which produce smoke when sufficiently heated. The heat and smoke will cook food and impart the smokey flavor from the smoke within the container to the foods.
So in order to grill certain foods, an outdoor barbecue grill is necessary, while if the food is desired to be smoked, a smoker apparatus is needed. In having two separate devices, a grill and a smoker, two separate structures for heating must be provided whereas it would be desirable to have a combination grill and smoker for which only one heating apparatus is used, thereby saving considerable expense and maintenance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,741 discloses a combination smoking and grilling apparatus. The problem with this device is that much of the heat and smoke is lost around the side of the grill when it is used for smoking foods. There is consequently a need for a combination grill and smoking apparatus which will not waste such heat and smoke when used for smoking foods while at the same time permitting the user to use the device either as a grill for grilling foods, or as a smoker for smoking foods.